This is the joint website of Women Against Rape and Black Women's Rape Action Project. Both organisations are based on self-help and provide support, legal information and advocacy. We campaign for justice and protection for all women and girls, including asylum seekers, who have suffered sexual, domestic and/or racist violence.

WAR was founded in 1976. It has won changes in the law, such as making rape in marriage a crime, set legal precedents and achieved compensation for many women. BWRAP was founded in 1991. It focuses on getting justice for women of colour, bringing out the particular discrimination they face. It has prevented the deportation of many rape survivors. Both organisations are multiracial.

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Summons to a Public Trial
The rape of justice: Who’s guilty?

Three decades ago, when it was still legal for a man to rape his wife, Women Against Rape, just formed, announced a rape trial with a difference: women were putting the government and its criminal justice system on trial for condoning and even encouraging rape.

Most people now support women’s right to say NO under any circumstance and at any point, and to get justice when that NO is ignored. Yet, the conviction rate for recorded rape is down to 5.7%. So once again we are putting the authorities on trial for persistently “letting rapists off the hook,” which denies women and girls justice and makes us all vulnerable.

Those in charge of justice still often hold women responsible for rape and sexual assault. It used to be short skirts and hitch-hiking that were to blame. Now it’s having too much to drink or having more than one partner or, as always, trusting the wrong man. The truth is that just being a woman – or a girl – in the wrong place at the wrong time is often enough to condemn us to rape.

But we have fought back. Increasingly women have reported rape and sexual assault, even when it was frightening, embarrassing and dangerous to do so, and even when the police didn’t want to know. We reported rape not only by strangers but by dates, husbands, partners, fathers, step-fathers, uncles, brothers, babysitters, employers, immigration officers, teachers, lecturers, carers, police, soldiers . . . And we have fought to defend our children even more than ourselves.

For 30 years, with little or no funding, Women Against Rape has been backing women and spearheading their demands for justice, by:

Speaking out against the authorities which don’t investigate, lose the evidence, misrepresent us, attack our character and conduct, accuse us of lying, put us on trial and even in prison.

Invading courts and private clubs where some of the most sexist judges hang out.

Pressing for changes in the law, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, the courts, the compensation system, and demanding that police or prosecutors who won’t do their jobs against rapists must be sacked.

Winning legislation which recognises rape in marriage as a crime, and sets at least some (though not enough) limits on raising women’s sexual history in court.

Fighting for rape survivors not to be detained, left destitute, or have our children torn from us, and to be granted the right to asylum.

Winning a private prosecution against a serial rapist after the CPS refused to prosecute – a test case that exposed the CPS.

Forcing the police and CPS to arrest and prosecute the white attacker of a Black Muslim mother; he was found guilty – another test case that exposed police inaction.

Winning compensation for many rape victims after they had been turned down.

BUT MOST RAPISTS STILL GET AWAY WITH IT!

What is the point of recommendations, complaints and appeals procedures, specialist police, prosecutors and judges, inspectorates, women in government, and more laws if those in charge of implementing them refuse over and over to do their job?

WE WANT THOSE IN CHARGE OF JUSTICE TO BE HELD TO ACCOUNT!

Have your say on 16 February 2008. Testify about your experience of dealing with sexual, domestic and other violence, what you did to try to get protection and justice and what response you got from each of the authorities. Male survivors of sexual violence are also welcome.

We will have dark glasses, masks and screens for anyone who wants to disguise their identity.